When elected officials and advocacy groups invoke veterans to justify a project, the least they can do is follow the kind of disciplined planning and procurement standards the military relies on every day. In the armed forces, these processes aren’t red tape; they are safeguards that protect people, ensure accountability, and prevent costly mistakes. They exist because lives and resources depend on getting it right.
That’s why the comparison matters. If this project were held to even the most basic military planning standards, it wouldn’t make it past the first review.